Biography

U.S. Secretary to the United States - Republic of Korea Status of
Forces Agreement Joint Committee Special Assistant for International
Relations to the Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea

Colonel (Retired) Stephen E. Bruch was born in Richmond, Virginia and
earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics from the United
States Military Academy at West Point. He was commissioned as a Second
Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1985 and served for 29 years as an active
duty Infantry officer. He now serves as a Department of the Army (DA)
Civilian.

Colonel (Retired) Bruch’s military education includes the Infantry
Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Service Staff School,
the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC), U.S. National
War College (NWC). He holds three Master Degrees: Physics (University
of Virginia), Military Arts and Science (CGSC), and International and
Strategic Studies (NWC). He also served as an Instructor and then
Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the U.S. Military
Academy.

Prior to his current DA Civilian position, Colonel (Retired) Bruch
served as the Deputy J-5 (Strategy, Policy, and Plans), Chief of
Operations (J-33), and Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for United States
Forces Korea. He served as Senior Brigade Combat Team
Observer-Controller at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk,
Louisiana, where he trained and prepared brigade combat teams for
operations in Iraq (OIF) and Afghanistan (OEF/ISAF). As a Lieutenant
Colonel, he commanded 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st
Airborne Division – Air Assault, stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
He commanded this battalion in combat in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi
Freedom I. Prior to battalion command, he served as 1st Brigade
Executive Officer, Deputy G3 (Operations, Plans, Readiness, and
Training), and two years as the Operations Officer (S3) for 2nd
Battalion, 325th Infantry in the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg,
North Carolina. As a captain, he commanded the Long Range Surveillance
Detachment, G Troop/ 5-17 Cavalry Squadron and B Company, 1st Battalion
506th Infantry Regiment (Air Assault) in 2nd Infantry Division, Republic
of Korea. As a lieutenant, he served as a Rifle and then Scout Platoon
Leader and as a Company Executive Officer in 3rd Battalion, 325th
Airborne Battalion Combat Team stationed at Fort Bragg and then Vicenza,
Italy.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service
Medals, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation
Medal, Army Superior Unit Award, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary
Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, and the Military Outstanding
Volunteer Service Medal. He has earned the Air Assault, Combat
Infantry, Expert Infantry, Master Parachutist Badges and Ranger Tab.